Behaviour for Learning Policy - Ashley School · Have self- belief and the self- confidence to learn new things. Are self- motivated and have a thirst for learning. Understand their

AMc : Behaviour for Learning Policy: April 2015 1

Behaviour for Learning Policy


Contents

1. Rationale

2. Aims of the Policy

3. What is Behaviour for Learning?

4. Rewards and Sanctions

5. Principles of Positive Handling

6. Strategies to implement Behaviour for Learning?

6.1 Teaching young people the social and emotional skills that they need to succeed.

6.2 Actively promote a working environment that is calm and positive

6.3 Build positive relationships in the classroom. Structure the lesson for positive

behaviour and attendance.

Appendices

Appendix A

Behaviour for Learning – a set of three relationships.

Appendix B Behaviour for Learning flow chart to manage situations

Appendix C

The Collaborative Problem Solving Approach (CPSA)

Appendix D

Social, Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)

Appendix E

Build positive relationships in the classroom


1. Rationale

Approaches to Behaviour for Learning at The Ashley School Academy Trust are centred on the vision

and values of the school.

The Ashley School ‘Behaviour for Learning’ approach is positive. It helps pupils understand the

behaviour skills they need. It will model and teach these skills and demonstrate how this will help

pupils to learn. The school has a number of rules but our Behaviour for Learning policy is not

primarily concerned with rule enforcement; it is a means of promoting good relationships so that

people can work together with the common purpose of helping everyone to learn.

At The Ashley School we recognise that some of our pupils may exhibit unacceptable behaviour

because of their particular needs and disabilities. The way that challenging behaviours are managed

within the The Ashley School demonstrates a commitment to our vision and values by using a range

of strategies which can be wholly personalised to the needs and complexities of the pupils who

attend our school.

Underpinning the policy is our philosophy that, ‘Behind every challenging behaviour is an unsolved

problem or skills that have not yet been learned (or both)’ (Ross Greene, 2009).

Enabling all pupils to fully participate in our community and beyond

Promoting Positive Relationships

Achieving successful outcomes and progress for all

Providing a safe, secure, supportive, empathetic and nurturing environment

Delivering engaging teaching and developing new skills (SEAL, PLTS, Literacy, Numeracy)

Providing a broad, balanced, relevant, coherent and participative curriculum which meets the needs of all our pupils


2. Aims of the Policy

To ensure a consistent approach to Behaviour for Learning across The Ashley School.

Teach children how to show positive behaviour and make the right choices.

To acknowledge that the needs of the individual need to be understood and strategies developed to promote positive change in behaviour.

To ensure that pupils in The Ashley School develop a sense of belonging and self-worth

Provide a calm and caring ethos in a safe environment where learning is valued by pupils, staff and parents.

To support pupils in the development of their social, emotional and behavioural skills

To allow pupils to learn to take responsibility for their own behaviour and understand the consequences of the behaviour

To develop strategies that promote self-esteem and preserve the dignity of all members of the school community

To use correct procedures for de-escalation, positive handling and managing high risk situations

To use pro-active, reflective, collaborative, restorative and, where necessary, reactive strategies to support behaviour for learning.

3. What is Behaviour for Learning?

Most social, emotional and behavioural skills are learned. As a theoretical approach it can best be

conceptualised as a set of three relationships experienced by the pupil. These relate to their:

• relationship with themselves (how they feel about themselves and their self-confidence as a

learner);

• relationship with others (how they interact socially and academically with all others in their class

and school);

• relationship with the curriculum (how accessible they feel a lesson is, how best they think they

learn).


In order to foster a positive learning environment in the classroom it is important to recognise the

importance of each of these relationships and the contribution as an adult in the school to

developing them.

Many of our pupils will not have effective skills for learning when they arrive at school. They may

need support and direct teaching to develop skills they have yet to learn. At The Ashley School

teachers and support staff need to focus on helping pupils to develop appropriate skills which

enable them to learn within a variety of social contexts (in whole-class or small-group situations in

the class-room and elsewhere in the school, at break-time, lunchtime and immediately outside the

school).

( Appendix A )

4. Rewards and Sanctions

The three Key Stages use a variety of rewards for the pupils. There are differences within each of

the three Key Stages that are a reflection of what is considered appropriate for the age and

development of the pupils. These rewards should be regularly reviewed by the teams and take into

account the personalisation of the Behaviour for Learning philosophy.

Similarly sanctions are administered in light of the actions of the pupils but the focus should be on

emphasising choice rather than control.

Pupils need to understand that there are consequences to behaviour choices. Staff are in charge of

the situation rather than attempting to control learners.

Staff will:

Follow the Behaviour for Learning flow chart to control situations ( Appendix B )

Seek every opportunity to de-escalate potentially challenging behaviours.

Give pupils take up time with behaviour choices wherever possible.

Celebrating success – assemblies, celebrations, reflection, displays, certificates

Provide regular and constructive feedback, oral and written

Record incidents of challenging behaviour on class incident logs. Complete a ‘Pink Slip’ for

more serious incidents. These will be recorded on SIMS

Record incidents of positive behaviour / contributions to school life on SIMS

Model effective conflict resolution through the use of the Collaborative Problem Solving

Approach ( Appendix C)


5. Principles of Positive Handling

It is the policy of The Ashley School that all members of staff have a duty of care to themselves, to

each other and to the pupils and as such will apply SAFE schools’ principles in behaviour support and

‘Positive Handling’.

There is an appreciation that there may be occasions when pupil behaviour presents to a point that

he/she is not only a danger to others but also to themselves. Even though all aspects of the

‘Behaviour for Learning Policy’ have been adhered to and all de-escalation options have been

utilised the situation has reached a point where positive handling is appropriate as a last resort. On

such occasions the use of ‘Positive Handling’ techniques should aim to ensure the safety of the

individual, any others and the person undertaking the positive handling.

The Ashley School will ensure through a comprehensive theory and practical course that all adults

participate in professional development in this area.

6. Strategies to implement Behaviour for Learning?

6.1 Teaching young people the social and emotional skills that they need to succeed.

At The Ashley School we recognise the importance of SEAL as a core element in promoting

behaviour for learning. A range of benefits for pupils have been identified. These include, greater

educational and work success, improvements in behaviour, increased inclusion, improved learning,

greater social cohesion and improvements to mental health.

Learning in Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) is central to everything that our school

does and includes the regular assessment of social and emotional skills development (NfER and APP

for SEAL) to inform individual behaviour strategies and EHCP and the introduction of specific SEAL

lessons. ( September 2015 )

( Appendix D)

6.2 Actively promote a working environment that is calm and positive.

Approaches to a calm and positive working environment are as follows:

Praise

A school focus on ‘readiness to learn’

A school commitment to supporting communication and differentiation


De-escalation

Supportive and safe environment

Independence and self-help

Stimulating curriculum which is meaningful

Appropriate strategies and learning environments e.g. multi - sensory resources and strategies,

intensive interaction and intervention, therapeutic support, support for pupils with visual and

speech and language impairments

6.3 Build positive relationships in the classroom. Structure the lesson for positive behaviour

and attendance.

The preparation of effective lessons is fundamental to high-quality teaching and learning. This in

turn promotes and supports behaviour for learning in the classroom. The following points are key

factors in effective teaching to support behaviour for learning and attendance.

It is important to:

create an environment that promotes learning in a settled and purposeful atmosphere;

support the pupils’ emotional well-being within the learning and teaching environment;

focus and structure teaching so that pupils are clear about what is to be learned and how it

fits with what they know already;

modify and adapt the curriculum to meet the diverse individual needs of children in your

classroom;

actively engage pupils in their learning so that they make their own meaning from it;

develop pupils’ learning skills systematically so that their learning becomes increasingly

independent;

use assessment for learning to help pupils reflect on what they already know, reinforce the

learning being developed and set targets for the future;

have high expectations of the effort that pupils should make and what they can achieve;

motivate pupils by well-paced lessons, using stimulating activities matched to a range of

learning styles which encourage participation and attendance.

( Appendix E )


Appendices Appendix A

The Ashley School Academy Trust Behaviour for Learning

Our pupils have a ……

Have self- belief

and the self-

confidence to

learn new things.

Are self-

motivated and

have a thirst for

learning.

Understand their

personal

strengths and

weaknesses.

Are resourceful,

take

responsibility

and have a

willingness to

admit and

correct their

mistakes.

Most important of all – emotional wellbeing and happiness.

Relationship with Others

Relationship with

Themselves

Relationship with the

Curriculum

Have empathy and

respect for others

and acceptance and

understanding of

differences.

Show friendship and

harmony in the

presence of others

and develop a feeling

of belonging.

Show a willingness to

participate and join in

learning experiences.

Cooperate and

collaboratively work,

recognizing that

learning behaviour

involves working

harmoniously with

others.

Most important of all –

social wellbeing.

Have access to

a curriculum

which is

relevant and

meets their

developing

needs.

Have the ability

to focus and

maintain

attention on the

task of learning.

Are inspired by

inspirational

teaching.

Have the ability

to communicate

and express

their interest.

Most important

of all – cognitive

wellbeing.


Appendix B

u

Pupils follow the The Ashley School Expectations

Receive rewards dependent on

KS or subject. SIMS

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR MAY INCLUDE

Verbal abuse to pupil or staff - Racist or sexist comments

Unacceptable language - name calling - refusal to complete work

or go to lesson - exiting the classroom without permission -

refusal to follow school expectations - see SIMS

Re-engage

and return

to learning

All pupils have planned and staged opportunities to reflect on their behaviour. CPSA, mentoring,

PFS Flat 28, restorative approaches and use of outside agencies.

In extreme cases of unacceptable behaviour or criminal activity the police will be requested to

attend and an exclusion will result. A return from exclusion meeting will be convened before a

pupil returns to school.

Serious unacceptable

behavior – Assault on

pupil /staff. Criminal

damage.

Staff use appropriate language

and de-escalation techniques at

the earliest opportunity

Staff request PFS support and KS

leader informed when appropriate.

- second opportunity

PFS team support in order to

return to class - third

opportunity. SLT support

Negative behavior

escalates – internal

isolation /exclusion Parent / carer

informed

YES

NO

YES

YES

Re-engage

and return

to learning

NO

NO

YES

Re-engage

and return

to learning

NO


Appendix C

Collaborative Problem Solving Approach

The Collaborative Problem Solving Approach (CPSA) takes the view that behind every challenging

behaviour is an unsolved problem or skills that have not yet been learned (or both). The role of the

adult, therefore, becomes to solve problems collaboratively with the child or young person as a

means of reducing the challenging behaviour and, at the same time, teaching skills in order that the

child or young person can learn to solve future problems for herself / himself.

The CPSA also aims to help adults respond to oppositional behaviour in a way that is not

personalised, is less reactive and more empathic (modelling SEAL).

The specific goals of the CPSA are to:

1 Understand that the use of rewards and consequences alone will not teach a child or young person

the skills that s/he has not yet learned.

2 Identify and teach the social and emotional skills that have not yet been learned by the child or

young person and are contributing to the child’s challenging behaviour.

3 Use the three steps of Collaborative Problem Solving to solve problems with the child or young

person and to model effective problem solving.

The three steps of a CPSA session between an adult and a child or young person are:

1. The Empathy Step—involves achieving an understanding of the child’s or young person’s

perspective on a given unsolved problem. The main skill being used in this step is active (or

emotionally literate) listening.

2. The Define the Problem Step—is where the adult summarizes the child’s or young person’s

concern or perspective and then shares their own concern or perspective on the same unsolved

problem. It is often helpful for the adult to link their own concern to an issue of safety or learning.

3. The Invitation Step—is where the adult and child or young person brainstorm solutions that will

address the concerns of both parties, with an eye towards agreeing to enact a solution that is

realistic and mutually satisfactory.

Although the three steps of collaborative problem solving can be used when the child or young

person is in a state of distress or frustration in immediate response to a behavioural incident

(reactively) they are most successfully achieved at a calmer time in a brief prearranged 1:1 meeting

(proactively).


Sometimes in an interaction with a child or young person we will not have the opportunity to do

more than step 1 (the empathy step). At these times it is important to remember that this still

models collaboration and contributes significantly to building a mutually respectful relationship.

The CPSA was first developed by Ross Greene in his work with children and young people with

diagnosed Oppositional Defiance Disorder, children whom Ross Greene describes as ‘explosive in

temperament.’ The approach has proven to be highly effective in schools, families and residential

settings (including young offenders institutions) in that it has led to reductions in challenging

behaviour and children and young people learning to solve future problems peacefully.

In his review of effective interventions for children and young people with behavioural, emotional

and social development needs Steve Killick (2006) concluded that the CPSA is ‘particularly useful for

children who may be experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.’ The use of the

Collaborative Problem Solving Approach overtime, after multiple repetitions, with a child or young

person should significantly reduce challenging behaviour. Problems will be solved one at a time. The

child or young person will learn that his or her concerns will be heard and addressed. And, at the

same time, the child or young person will be learning problem solving skills which are crucial to

handling life’s social, emotional and behavioural challenges.

Appendix D

The Healthy Schools Project (DCSF 1999) stressed that where pupils have good emotional, social and

behavioural skills they will be able to:

be effective and successful learners;

make and sustain friendships;

deal with and resolve conflict effectively and fairly;

solve problems with others or by themselves;

manage strong feelings such as frustration, anger and anxiety;

recover from setbacks and persist in the face of difficulties;

work and play cooperatively;

compete fairly and win and lose with dignity and respect for competitors;

recognise and stand up for their rights and those of others;

understand and value differences between people.


Research suggests that the promotion of social and emotional aspects of learning promote positive

behaviours. There is an indication that that behaviour and attendance amongst some of the most

challenging pupils improve because:

pupils are more involved in school life and have a say in what happens:

pupils have a higher self-esteem;

pupils recognise the value of positive behaviours;

fewer pupils disengage from learning and school;

bullying behaviour is minimised;

truancy rates, drug misuse and young offending are reduced.

Appendix E

In addition to the points in the section ;

‘Build positive relationships in the classroom. Structure the lesson for positive behaviour and

attendance.’

Research suggests that certain key attributes assist in the development of positive relationships:

• modelling appropriate behaviour;

• positive recognition and the effective use of praise;

• positive correction;

• consistent application of rules;

• use of verbal and non-verbal communication;

• listening to pupils and respecting their opinions;

• remaining relaxed but vigilant (pre-empting unacceptable behaviour);

• dealing positively and sensitively with lateness and non-attendance.

Whenever possible arrive before the class and start on time. Ensure that pupils are settled before

beginning the lesson. Be well prepared and make explicit the learning objective of the lesson.

Know the pupils as individuals and call them by name when welcoming them to the lesson, during

the lesson and at the end.

Be consistent with behaviour for learning strategies. Model the standards of courtesy expected from

the pupils. Emphasise the positive including praise for good behaviour as well as good work.


Adopt agreed strategies to address poor behaviour such as the use of private conversations rather

than public, avoid sarcasm and threats, make fair and consistent use of sanctions. Avoid whole

group sanctions.

Keep the lesson to time and exit the classroom in an orderly fashion emphasising the point that the

room should be left in a way that the next class would like to find it.

Effective relationships mean that there is, ‘common ground’ between pupil and teacher. This is as

vital in securing appropriate conditions for learning as it is for managing behaviour issues which may

be potentially problematic. It is therefore central to a ‘Behaviour for Learning’ approach.

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Behaviour for Learning Policy - Ashley School · Have self- belief and the self- confidence to learn new things. Are self- motivated and have a thirst for learning. Understand their